A Boy run over at Carnforth
(21st November 1871)

On Tuesday, William Stephenson, a boy only ten years of age, was run over by a mineral train at Carnforth, and killed. The deceased was son of Mr. Christopher Stephenson, auctioneer, of Carnforth, and was employed as a messenger at the post office.
On Tuesday night, he left his work about eight, but returned soon afterwards to post a letter. He had been observed playing about the station with one or two other boys, and as he was crossing the line he was run over by a mineral train engaged in shunting. His legs were much bruised, and he died very shortly afterwards. Mr. Holden held an inquest on the body, on Wednesday, at the Carnforth station, when the following evidence was given :-

Andrew Spires said : Last night about half-past eight o'clock I brought a letter to the post-office and saw the deceased playing on the platform. We were together about ten minutes and then went into the waiting room to sit by the fire, and when he heard the train coming he ran out. As soon as the train had passed I heard him crying and I went out. He was lying on the line and could not get up, and I went and told the persons in the post-office, and they went to his assistance.

Christopher Stephenson said he was in the employ of the post-office at the Carnforth Station, The deceased was his brother and a messenger in the post-office. He left work at eight o'clock in the evening. He had left work but returned with a letter to post half-an-hour afterwards. About twenty minutes after his return Spires went into the post-office and said that a little boy was lying on the line, and on witness going he was shocked to find it was his brother, and he went home to tell his parents.

James Bryan, foreman porter at Carnforth, said : Last night I saw the deceased and another boy sitting on a form in the waiting room. I saw the deceased go across the station as though he was going to the post-office. There was a goods train coming up just at that time, and after it had gone through the station I went into Mr. Birkett's office to see after some left luggage. I heard a boy crying and I went out to see what was the matter, and I saw the last witness coming across the platform and he said "Oh dear, our William's got run over." We removed the boy to the waiting room, and on examining him I saw that his legs had been run over. He was bleeding very much from the wounds, and died in about a quarter of an hour. We did not take his clothes off, or do anything, as he was apparently dying from the first.

Charles ferguson, engine driver, said : I was in charge of the mineral train from Tebay to Carnforth. I saw the deceased with two other boys playing at the gate leading to the platform. They were snow-balling each other, and I told them to go away or else they might get landed.
They gave over immediately and I saw them go away a little on the road leading to Carnforth. In about five minutes after I saw deceased  standing at the gate, and he called out to the breakman "Hallo, Jack." The breakman made a reply, and we went on with our shunting. I never saw him again and after we had shunted one or two wagons the breakman came and told me we had run over a lad. We had a heavy train to start, and had never gone at the rate of more than three or four miles an hour.

The Jury found the deceased was run over and killed by a goods train.

A Boy run over at Carnforth - Westmorland Gazette Sat 25 November 1871

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